In an effort to educate the populace on the benefits of marijuana, high profile hacker group Anonymous has announced that it will begin Phase 1 of OpCannabis on April 20.

The group, best known for taking down high level government and corporate sites as well as having a direct and tangible role in the success of the Arab Spring populace revolts across the Middle Eastern region, is determined to help cannabis legalization and decriminalization efforts worldwide.

Anonymous released the following statement:

Dear Citizens of the World

For far too long cannabis has been oppressed by big corporations, big pharma and governments when it could be benefiting all of mankind on many different levels. We have heard and we have watched your government lie and deceive you on all the dangers of cannabis. Show support by making your profile pictures green this April 20th on your social network profiles.

OpCannabis phase 1, initiated. We are Anonymous.....Expect us.

Attention individual people, governments, companies and fellow Anons!
We are Anonymous and we have an important message for you:

Plato said that it was ok to tell a lie ONLY if it truly benefits all of mankind. Plato called this lie the "noble lie." For far too long there has been a lie that has been perpetrated but it is neither noble nor does it benefit all of mankind, actually quite the opposite... the cannabis plant is one of the world's oldest and best medicines that has been known as beneficial for thousands of years!

It can replace many medicines and can be made into many different things such as plastics and fuels and paints etc. The bounds of this plant are limitless, we ALL are effected by illness such as cancer, diabetes, Crohn's disease, chronic pain, mental illness, alcohol abuse and a myriad of other physical and mental disorders. Cannabis had been proven over and over to help or even cure and reverse the effects of these diseases that will affect us all at some point in our life!

Yet it is kept from the people who need its curing powers by governments, big corporations, by big pharmaceutical companies because it is a threat to the money they make! They make more money off you being sick so they do not want you to have a cure, these people do not truly care about your wellbeing only the money they will make from your illness!

Since it is an easily grown plant that can be grown freely by anyone they have made it an illegal Schedule I drug. Cannabis has been oppressed by the powers that be that are afraid of its true benefits, and these benefits do help all of mankind!

So cannabis fits the criteria for Anonymous' support. We ask that all Anons and individuals please support the legalization efforts in any way possible! Even simply signing a petition or sharing info or even just having an open mind about the subject will help!

We ask you to please educate yourself on its many benefits and share these benefits with your sick or injured friends. We all know somebody that has cancer or diabetes and cannabis has helped or cured both and many other disorders!

Anonymous will begin its support for the legalization of marijuana on 4/20/12. So please show your support by educating yourselves and making your profile pic or timeline banner on your social services accts green or 420 friendly.

We have all seen the power of the SOPA blackout so Anonymous feels that we can help cure the world simply by everyone showing their support for this most beneficial plant! We must end the prohibition of cannabis!!

These oppressors make trillions of dollars off of the war on drugs by keeping their privately owned jails overcrowded with nonviolent drug offenders! We are approaching the 11 billion dollar mark that the government has spent on the drug war this year alone and have put millions of nonviolent offenders behind bars. This is a true crime against humanity and needs to end!

Saying cannabis is a dangerous drug and is not a medicine is NOT a noble lie... it is simply a lie!